TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie this morning assumed a humble tone after a very successful election night as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, saying the winning GOP gubernatorial candidates that he backed deserved the credit for their victories.

His comments came during a five-network national television blitz that makes Christie's one of the first faces millions of Americans will see the day after Republicans routed Democrats in the mid-term elections.

“It’s always about the candidates, and the candidates deserve the credit,” Christie told Matt Lauer on the “Today” show. “As RGA chairman here’s what you do: you raise money, you raise awareness. And the candidates have to do with that what they will.”

Christie raised more than $100 million as RGA chairman, and most of the candidates
he spent a significant amount of time backing pulled off victories last night. Among them: Republicans won a governorship in deep blue Maryland, held on to them in Florida, Maine and Wisconsin, and kept races too close to call in Colorado and Connecticut. Candidates he backed heavily lost in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire.

Christie was determined not to let the Republican takeover of the U.S. Senate and expansion of their majority in the House of Representatives overshadow the gubernatorial gains.

“I got elected by my fellow governors to be chairman in a year when we had to defend two-thirds of the seats. Remember, it was opposite of what went on in the Senate,” he said. “We didn’t have some great map in our favor. Remember, nine of the seats we defended the president won twice. We won eight of those nine.”

Christie talked about the Senate takeover, saying Republicans should focus on tax
reform and developing a national energy policy. He did not get more specific than that.

“We need to get things done ... and put things on the president’s desk and make the president make some decisions,” Christie told Charlie Rose on CBS This Morning. “(Senate Majority Leader) Harry Reid has protected the president for the last several years.”

Inevitably, Christie was asked about his presidential aspirations. As usual, he demurred.

Asked by George Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning America” if it’s fair to say the experience of the last few months moved him closer to running for president: “No, it’s not fair to say. It’s fair to say what I’m looking for is a nap.” Christie noted that he was on two hours of sleep.

And even with the spate of good news, Christie’s “sit down and shut up” comments to a protester at a press conference last week also came up.

Lauer asked if Christie would have to hide that side of his personality outside of New Jersey.